To Star-stuff We Return: The Space Burial Quiz

Would you like to swing on a star? Have your ashes sent up in a jar? Well, now there's a service that allows you to do exactly that. There’s just one catch: You have to be dead first. Let’s see how much you know about space burial -- past, present and future.

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Question 1 of 20

Into which of the following objects have people had their ashes transformed?

diamonds

bullets

both of the above

The strange ash-crafting projects don’t stop with precious stones or bullets. Some opt to have their ashes explode in fireworks or spend eternity beneath the briny deep as a coral reef.

Question 2 of 20

How high above the Earth’s surface do remains travel during a Celestis parabolic flight?

62.1 miles (100 kilometers)

70 miles (112.7 kilometers)

The Celestis parabolic flight reaches space around 90 seconds after launch and then continues to an apogee of 70 miles. Approximately 62.1 miles above sea level is the Kármán line, an arbitrary convention used in treaties and elsewhere to designate the beginning of space.

112.7 miles (181.4 kilometers)

Question 3 of 20

The partial remains of astronaut Gordon Cooper flew aboard the first Celestis space burial flight. With what series of missions was Cooper first associated?

Mercury

Leroy Gordon Cooper Jr. was one of the first seven Project Mercury astronauts. He logged more time in space during his first flight than all five previous Mercury astronauts combined and was the first American astronaut to sleep in orbit. Cooper also commanded the Gemini GT-5 mission, making him the first person to make a second orbital flight, and later worked on Apollo and Skylab in an operations capacity.

Gemini

Apollo

Question 4 of 20

Besides human remains, what do the rockets that Celestis uses for space burials transport into space?

Human remains are transported commercially on Earth as a matter of course; as long as they are properly packaged and metered, you can even mail them. According to the U.S. Postal Service, they must be packed in "siftproof containers or other containers that are sealed in durable siftproof outer containers," and the "identity of the contents should be marked on the address side."

yes, but only by the government and licensed morticians

no

Question 6 of 20

How many companies currently offer space burials?

one

Although competitor companies once existed, Celestis was the only game in town in 2011.

three

five

Question 7 of 20

Which of the following is NOT a rocket provider used by Celestis for space burials?

Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (aka SpaceX)

Virgin Galactic

Celestis acts as an intermediary and relies on commercial spacecraft companies, such as Lockheed Martin Corp., Orbital Sciences Corp., Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (better known as SpaceX) and UP Aerospace to provide transport to space. Virgin Galactic only books flights for the living.

Orbital Sciences Corp.

Question 8 of 20

If you opt to send your ashes into space, the coffin holding your "symbolic portion" of ashes will be roughly how big?

the size of a watch-battery

the size of a lipstick tube

either A or B

Depending on how much you send up (1 or 7 grams), a lipstick- or watch-battery-sized tube, packed in a larger container with your fellow passengers, will transport your remains to space.

Question 9 of 20

How much more does Celestis charge to send 7 grams of cremains on a space burial flight than to send 1 gram?

same cost

twice as much

Celestis charges double the price of 1 gram for 7 grams; for an additional 50 percent on top of either price, the company will launch samples of two people together.

seven times as much

Question 10 of 20

What is the name of the Celestis package that will carry remains beyond the solar system?

Voyager

For the low, low price of $12,500 for 1 gram of remains, Voyager will send your ashes beyond the solar system and into the black gulf of deep space itself. The remains of Gene and Majel Roddenberry are scheduled to take this trip in 2014.

Deep Space Nine

Galaxy Quest

Question 11 of 20

The remains of both astronaut Gordon Cooper and actor James Doohan have flown aboard which two Celestis services?

Earth Rise and Earth Orbit

Gordon Cooper and James Doohan flew on the first Earth Rise flight on April 28, 2007. They also joined the choir invisible on Earth Orbit, which didn't live up to its name when, on Aug. 3, 2008, the rocket failed two minutes after launch. Subsequent flights have met with more success.

Earth Rise and Luna

Earth Orbit and Luna

Question 12 of 20

On an Earth Rise flight, about how much time does the rocket spend in space?

four to five seconds

four to five minutes

Although the duration from launch to touchdown for this parabolic flight clocks in at around 15 minutes, the rocket spends 90 seconds of that getting to space and eight to nine minutes parachuting to the ground upon re-entry, leaving four to five minutes of actual space time.

four to five hours

Question 13 of 20

How long will your remains orbit the Earth if you sign up for the Celestis Earth Orbit service?

10 to 240 years

Your mileage may vary according to flight mechanics, ship and orbital path, but 10 to 240 years is the estimate for remains currently in orbit.

10 to 240 orbits

10 to 240 minutes

Question 14 of 20

When the Earth Orbit finally decays, what becomes of the craft and its contents?

It gradually moves to a higher orbit, eventually breaking free of Earth’s gravity.

It parachutes to Earth where its contents are recovered and sent to the families.

It vaporizes in the Earth’s atmosphere.

When the orbit decays, the craft and its contents will vaporize in the Earth’s atmosphere like a shooting star. Earth Rise, a parabolic flight into space, is the only Celestis space burial service in which remains are recovered.

Question 15 of 20

Thus far, how many people are known to have planted their ashes in the lunar surface?

one

Eugene Shoemaker’s ashes traveled to the moon aboard the NASA Lunar Prospector mission. Shoemaker is best remembered as the co-discoverer of comet Shoemaker–Levy 9.

two

12

Question 16 of 20

According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, how much will many Americans spend on a typical funeral?

$1,000-$4,000

$6,000-$10,000

Space burials aren’t cheap, but traditional services are just as likely to break the bank. Many Americans will spend around $6,000 to $10,000 on a funeral and the attendant details such as flowers, notice cards and limousines.

$7,000-$15,000

Question 17 of 20

The bulk of our body’s cells are replaced several times over the course of our lives. Which of the following are exceptions to this rule?

eyes and cerebral cortex neurons

With the exception of our eyes, cerebral cortex neurons and possibly heart muscle, the bulk of our body’s cells are swapped out for new ones every seven to 10 years (on average).

pancreas and liver tissues

both of the above

Question 18 of 20

Which author used the punny phrase "burial at c" to describe releasing remains at light speed?

Alastair Reynolds

Alastair Reynolds took the idea of high-velocity burial to an extreme in his Revelation Space series, when a dying man requested that his remains be released as the ship crested light speed, thereby achieving "burial at c."

Philip K. Dick

Robert Louis Stevenson

Question 19 of 20

From the perspective of our chief chemical components, our bodies are only worth a few dollars; as parts, however, some estimate us to be worth how much?

$25 million

$35 million

$45 million

The raw elements making up our bodies may only be worth pocket change, but on an open market, the lungs, heart, kidneys, bone marrow, antibodies, mineral content, eggs, sperm and other components of a human could tally up to around $45 million.

Question 20 of 20

Which of the following religious observances has been held in space?

Communion

Shabbat

both of the above

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin took Communion in the lunar lander on the moon, complete with bread and wine. While orbiting the Earth, Jewish astronaut Ilan Ramon adjusted his Sabbath observation to match Earth time; had he based it on orbital sundowns, the weekly day of rest would have occurred every nine hours and lasted 90 minutes.